?Chapter 288:


    Upon noticing Elena was still awake, Jolie immediately showed concern. “Elena, are you hungry? Ailie, please prepare a light meal for Elena.”


    “There’s no need. I wouldn’t want to trouble her,” Elena replied. “I was just thirsty and came down for some water.”


    Jolie adjusted the shawl on her shoulders, her tone confused. “Ailie is in charge of our meals. Why would you hesitate to ask her? That’s her responsibility.”


    Ailie received a monthly sry of twenty thousand for preparing three meals a day. With the Harper men often away on business, Ailie’s primary duty was to cook for Jolie, which made her tasks much simpler. Whipping up ate-night…


    snack for Elena should have posed no issue. Jolie, unaware of Ailie’s earlierments, simply assumed Elena didn’t want to trouble her.


    With his vast experience in business, Alexander quickly sensed the underlying tension. His expression grew serious as he asked Louis, “What happened?”


    Louis ryed Ailie’s earlier words, mimicking her tone wlessly with a touch of sarcasm. “She’s quite full of herself. How could we ever burden her with cooking?”


    When Louis finished, Alexander’s face turned grim. Elena had been home for some time, yet the household staff still overlooked her needs? This was their failure—they had allowed boundaries to blur, giving a simple servant the confidence to scold his daughter.


    Jolie’s face reflected the seriousness of the situation. She had always shown respect to others, but it seemed not everyone reciprocated. Because of Ailie’s age, Jolie had avoided asking her to redo unsatisfactory meals and had paid her well above the market rate. Yet, Ailie behaved as if she ran the household.


    Jolie’s brows furrowed deeply with frustration. “Ailie, considering your age, it might be time for you to retire. The Harper family simply can’t allow a servant to overstep her ce.”


    “Mrs. Harper, please allow me to exin!” Ailie pleaded, fully aware of the serious consequences that woulde with being dismissed.


    The prospect of losing her job was unthinkable. Her son,cking ambition, spent his days gaming and avoiding work. His wife was proving just aszy. Her entire family’s livelihood depended on her ie.


    The Harpers provided a generous sry and exceptional benefits, making Ailie the envy of her neighbors. Where else could she find such a well-paying position if she were to leave?


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    In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Ailie shifted the me to Elena. “Mrs. Harper, it was your daughter’s fault! Everyone was asleep, and I was only concerned she might disturb you, so I suggested she keep her voice down. But she threatened to fire me. I’ve dedicated over a decade to the Harper family and have never once thought of leaving. Her words upset me, and that’s why I spoke out of turn. This isn’t my fault! Mrs. Harper, please, I beg you not to fire me. I support my entire family. Without this job, we would suffer greatly. You arepassionate; surely you wouldn’t want to see us starve, would you?”


    When Ailie tried to guilt-trip Jolie into not firing her, Elena sneered and replied, “Come on, you can always find a new job if you work hard. If getting fired means your family will suffer greatly, that’s on you.”


    “Shut up!” Ailie snapped, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair. “Mrs. Harper, did you hear that? Your daughter is so ruthless; she shows nopassion for me or my family at all.”


    Her eyes flickered with a desperate hope as she spoke, seeming to have cornered Elena and painted her as a viin in front of everyone. If Alexander and Jolie could only see Elena for who she really was—rude and downright vicious—they wouldn’t go through with firing her.


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